Ideas for Scroungers

KenS

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In my penny-pinching quest to build up a supply of free or cheap scrap, machinable material-- steel, aluminum, brass, Deldrin, plastic, etc.-- I am always looking for new sources. The scrap yards in our area do not sell to the public-- all scrap metal taken in is sorted by type, loaded into train hoppers and shipped to China. That eliminates one source. However, below are a few places I have been scrounging with some success. I know I'd like to hear your favorite scrounge sources, and I'm sure others here would also be receptive to ideas.

At any rate, here goes:

-- Excellent drill rod can be salvaged from rollers in discarded dot matrix and laser printers, along with an assorted variety of metric fasteners and miscellaneous parts.

-- Yard sales and flea markets can be a source of machinable cast iron weights and steel barbells.

-- For some projects not requiring high-quality angle iron, Goodwill and similar thrift stores can be provide a steady supply of old metal bed frames at very low cost. The stuff is hard to drill and weld, but you can't beat the price.

-- Discarded or Goodwill file cabinets can provide a source of thin sheet metal.

That's a start. Now let's hear ideas from fellow scroungers!


EDIT-- Sorry guys, I missed Nelson's similar post a few days ago. I don't know how to delete this, but you should probably respond to his thread.
 
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Maybe a bit hit and miss for some, but due to, or even because of, my location, (Nth Qld Aust), cyclone, (hurricane, typhoon prone, depending on hemisphere) they are installing new power transmission towers.
Through local knowledge and by greasing palms I have been able to aqquire a decent supply of structural A.I. remaining from tower installation.

Get out there and suss out the workers on the ground. The big companies always go overboard with supplies.
 
Estate sales and yard sales can be a good source of materials, solvents and lubricants. Usually they are willing to give them away or you can buy them for next to nothing. There are often tools, but in the case of estate sales, the the prices can rival retail unless you are there in the last few hours of the sale.

Randy
 
i stripped a tread mill at our local dump on the weekend,took the rollers for the belt, the counterwieght off the motor which is a hefty chunk of attractive iron,
and every type of shafting, bearings,and all the socketheads i could find which were all SAE....SCORE!:)
 
i stripped a tread mill at our local dump on the weekend,took the rollers for the belt, the counterwieght off the motor which is a hefty chunk of attractive iron,
and every type of shafting, bearings,and all the socketheads i could find which were all SAE....SCORE!:)
american made barbells are good castiron to make gears out of so dont sell them lol
:biggrin:
 
Estate/garage/tag/other as well as flea markets present some opportunities. For next to nothing I picked up 100 or so 1/4" brass bolts. Now and then I'll see brass fittings at the bottom of an old toolbox. Another time I got a roll of thin copper strip - maybe 1" wide and 100 ft long. I tend to stop at these things as I drive by.
 
The sheet metal from the cases of old air conditioners can often be salvaged.
 
Discarded shock absorbers and MacPherson struts are a source for drill rod.
 
Discarded shock absorbers and MacPherson struts are a source for drill rod.
Add to that old air lift cylinders for trunks, hoods, and truck cap windows for drill rod.
 
Need to be cautious with those lift cylinders. They contain pressurized nitrogen. Granted, if they are old and worn out, the pressure has dropped, but usually they still have some pressure. The rod from them is typically chrome plated, and makes excellent sliding round bearings in bronze sleeves. It's just a little hard to get under the chrome sometimes.
 
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